smoke signals

A Very Sweet Wish List

2011-01-31T16:34:00.001-05:00

I thought I'd put together a quick wish list of good Valentine's Day gifts that don't include a pajamagram or a chocolate rose. Valentine's day has never been the most important holiday for me, but as a married gal, I do like a reason for a romantic evening out with the hubbs.

For the girls:

Forget me Knot ring on Etsy

Essie Spring 2011 "French Affair" line. You can buy a cube of 6 full sized or 4 mini

(I got the fall minis from my sister for my b-day and it was an awesome gift.

Photo cred via glamhouserock.com

Some subtle but pretty heart art, via Etsy

For the boys:

Sherlock, series 1 on Blu-Ray

Iphone/wallet via Portel on Etsy

Camera lens to-go mugs

And last but not least, don't forget to call in reservations for your favorite restaurant if you are heading out for dinner on that evening. Seats go fast! We'll be going to Coriander in Squirrel Hill, our most recent favorite restaurant and catching a movie afterward.

Knock your socks off

2011-01-25T23:12:00.000-05:00

via ChocolateFettish.com

Valentine's day is neigh, and if you are looking for a gift, I've got something that is all-around awesome. This would also be great to take as a hostess gift or to give to any person who has a sweet tooth. They are fleur de sel chocolate caramels, which is a caramel dipped in chocolate and topped with (at least here) one of a variety of specialty salts. I first encountered them at my brother's house last year and I had to (very literally) stop myself from eating the entire box, which I desperately wanted to do.

green gifts

2011-01-25T10:19:00.001-05:00

via Tortoise Love's Donkey on Etsy

Wouldn't these be great for decorations and then guest gifts for a wedding, shower, or party? So cute and easy to take care of too. I wish I had these 3+ years ago!

I've been on a plant kick as of late, so no wonder I'm drawn to these. I--like my mum--have a bit of a black thumb unfortunately. However, I have my lovely paperwhites growing in the window with a handful of other plants. Hopefully I can go a month without killing them off.

In Pursuit of Peace

2011-01-08T21:51:00.004-05:00

As a result of the recent events in Arizona that have effected Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and other civilian victims, I feel the need to send out words of encouragement to the ether.

What has happened is a tragedy to the extreme. On a personal note, Rep. Giffords was elected during the first year I lived in Tucson and Pima County. I was present and a voter during that election. I saw her campaigns, I saw her stance on issues, and I repeatedly saw her concern and efforts to represent her constituents. Additionally, due to my work while in Tucson, I was also tasked with calling her office several times because of her involvement in solar energy research with the DOE.

At this juncture in history in this country, there are many things straining the individuals within, causing constant stress leading to (as Yoda would tell us) fear, anger, and hate. There are so many people who cry out, marginalized by their own pain and further twisted by their isolation.

In this new year, I urge you all to actively pursue peace in your everyday life. Recognize the options in your own home, with your family, with your friends, at your work, at church, at the store, everywhere you go, and--importantly--within yourself that will lead to peaceful hearts and to guard the dignity of those involved. Understand that a difference in opinion is how a group of intelligent people living in a democracy are able to come together and make the best choices for all involved. Fear, anger, and hate will twist the minds of those who are most at risk and divide us further. These feelings lead to dehumanization and those affected look at other people and forget that behind the opposing face is a person with their own mind and feelings. Similarly, the mentalities of those involved in the purges of WWII were ones of dehumanization, finger pointing, fear, anger, and hate. Imagine how many everyday people didn't do anything as they stood by and watched the more horrific events that affected individuals. In the beginning, there was something that could be done; as the machine gained strength the individual was not as capable as an individual unit under such oppression. As Pastor Niemöller stated many years ago:

When the Nazis came for the communists,
I remained silent; I was not a communist.

When they locked up the social democrats,
I remained silent; I was not a social democrat.

When they came for the trade unionists,
I did not speak out; I was not a trade unionist.

When they came for the Jews,
I remained silent; I wasn't a Jew.

When they came for me, there was no one left to speak out.

Perhaps this year choose to reject the consumption of news and entertainment that plays on those emotions. I don't want to watch anything regularly that leads me to think that all people in our country are stupid. That is what all of the reality trash-tv and major and national cable media is about, and in these days where we are consuming more entertainment and interacting directly with people less it is dangerous for us to use this as our proxy for human interaction. Guard your mind, guard what you are at heart, and don't be deceived or eroded by media that plays on the worst emotions just to make money and get better ratings. This is my challenge to you in this new year.

The potential to be a great generation is not lost. We have surrounded ourselves with the wrong things and now people are more and more becoming the fringe and bizarre things we see on television and internet. Make goals, determine who you want to be and practice at becoming it. "Be the change you want to see in the world," as Ghandi shared with us and we will be able to move into states of peace.

In peace and prayer,

Christmas in the Desert

2010-12-23T00:59:00.000-05:00

Josh and I are headed to Tucson for Christmas this year and there is so much to catch up with in that faraway land, as it has been about a year and a half since we've been there. Sometimes it feels like a lifetime ago that we lived there. Here's what's on the must-do, -see, and -eat list:

New nephew and niece doting!!!
Lovin' Spoonfuls delicious breakfasts and lunches fom the best vegan restaurant in the world
La Parilla Suiza, with Mexico City fare, where the ladies are making the tortillas by hand in the kitchen always and the green corn tamales are off the hook
Picacho Peak...appears to be closed :( but there will be hiking of some sort still
Midnight candlelit church service on Christmas eve. There's no better way to quiet your spirit than this. The bonus is leaving in the crisp night air and the sky filled with stars.
17th Street Market to have a romp around my favorite green grocer/international goods/music store in the world.
Family cooking, baking, and even a cupcake decorating class.

There will be more, but that's a good start. I can't wait to be back in the desert. :) Did I mention the temperature during the week is high of 70F in the day and low of 40F at night? Well, now you know.

To you and yours, I wish you a very happy holiday season filled with joy, peace, and wonder!

A Bittersweet Blip Fail

2010-11-09T14:19:00.000-05:00

I've had this around for awhile but forgot to post it. Oh, blip, when will you learn?

Discussions on the Sociology of Science

2010-10-22T15:59:00.001-04:00

Have you read The Structure of Scientific Revolutions by Thomas Kuhn? It's a good read and I would recommend it if you are interested in various fields of science and technology and the history of science. Not much in the way of prerequisite reading or knowledge is necessary, as it is not a very technical topic.

While I do think the book goes on to enforce the point at snooze-worthy length, there is a great lesson in the entire work--the body of science and "scientific" studies is as influenced by culture and society as anything else involving humans, despite the air of logic and validity in their communities. While the people who submit themselves to studying such issues during their life can indeed be experts on a subject, their follies appear with their inability to widen the scope of pertinent study. The already established paradigm is protected, and scientists go about research in a way to fine-tune that paradigm and learn more about it, researching largely to prove the paradigm is true. To discover aspects in and around what has already been established. Not all research supports the paradigm, and these studies are generally dismissed by the scientific community as invalid. This dismissal can be influenced by many things, including who completed the research, their reputation, who they work for or with, etc. Life goes on this way until research is completed that provides such new and conclusive proof that the paradigm is false that there is no other choice but to break the old paradigm and establish a new one. Revolution is natural, but that it required in this way is not natural. Science is creative, but it seems evident that these social norms in the scientific community inhibit the ability for natural growth in knowledge and direction.

On a personal note, I think that the characteristics of many scientists include the need for black-and-white answers to feel at ease. Unfortunately for them, their black-and-white answers continue to be scrutinized over the years as technology, knowledge, and understanding progress, making what they have assured the general public and their peers as being true later to be incorrect entirely. It certainly doesn't bolster confidence in feeling that I can fully accept their opinions when studying objects or phenomena that we can't place our hands on. I need look no further than the great T-Rex debate for a good example. Was the T-Rex the baddest dinosaur out there or a wimpy scavenger with inadequate arms? In life, sometimes we must admit that we are not sure but they don't like that in science. Working with scientists for 2 solid years, I found the same to be largely true as they go about everything else in their lives. They are a different breed, processing information and coming to different results.

So, where did this all begin. First, I'll admit to loving the studies of space. I am a child in so many ways, and I am still in awe of the celestial bodies out there. They are exotic and utterly terrifying all at once(kind of the same way I feel about deep-sea diving, and I have my SCUBA license!). But the discussions about life on different planets continue and I have been--since my high school years--perplexed by questions that are never asked or areas not discussed. As I read articles, including this one on io9, I get disappointed at the lack of scope. We study organic chemistry and the elements involved are carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen. We never seem to consider that organic elements can be relative to the conditions on a different planet. C-H-O-N are organic because of the makeup of our planet. Other worlds and atmospheres would be toxic to us because they are not in our makeup. But they never say that. Could the elements that create life not be totally different based on the atmosphere in which they develop? I happen to not see the prevalence of water on Earth and in our bodies as a coincidence. They instead want to provide a definitive answer about something that we know very little about. I'm no "little green men" kind of believer, but I like to think I am open minded enough to be consider that there are other options. Very few humans are gifted with minds that can process heavy amount of stimuli or truly think outside of the shackles of cultural reference. Why can't we recognize that as our weakness? What are your thoughts?

And another thing

2010-08-24T23:12:00.000-04:00

Day 19: Your favorite era: Rise of the Empire/The Clone Wars. Chock full of excitement and Sidious' delicate web of deception.

Day 20: Your favorite Star Wars spoof: Fanboys: Part spoof of the original trilogy of Star Wars, part spoof of the fanboy and fangirl life (even if we wish our stories were as epic).

Day 21: Most memorable John Williams music: Force Theme / Throne Room (think Luke on Tatooine looking at the setting suns and the medal ceremony in A New Hope).

Day 22: Your favorite droid: Ridiculously obvious. R2D2

Day 23: Your favorite Jedi: Qui Gon Jinn, representative of the living force.

Day 24: Your favorite force power: Force Push/Pull

Day 25: Your favorite cartoon adaptation: Star Wars: The Clone Wars. From the intimate look into the lives of the clones to in-depth G-canon plots that allow our beloved characters and new players to become richer entities true to the original saga, this show was an instant classic for me. Additionally, I am utterly fascinated by how it is filling in all of the detail between AotC and RotS.

Celebration V Notes

2010-08-18T23:09:00.001-04:00

As avid Star Wars fans, we each have our own story of being a fanatic. What makes my own story richer is the inclusion of the Clone Wars series and Celebration. It's a bit hard to explain to someone who isn't a fan or even is just a generic fan, what it all means to you. Sure, it isn't everything that I live for, but it is something special. I love it for the lessons in ethics, the philosophy, the complexity in relationships and decisions, the basis in Jungian and classical archetypes, amongst many other things.

To better explain (and frankly remember, as it is quite a busy event) what is so special about Celebration, I tried to remember everything I did to give example of what it is all about.

Star Wars Celebration V Notes & Itinerary
Thursday
715: PGH to CVG; CVG to MCO
1100: Taxi to the hotel, quick lunch at Denny's, and straight to the OCCC (just after going to the wrong side of the wrong OCCC hall). Met with Joe M. first thing. Celebration friends reunion!
1345: Tattoo Pavilion and live tattooing-Josh got a Boba Fett blaster designed off of the original release Boba Fett action figure. Joe & I walked around the floor to scope things out.
1415: Arrived a bit late, but caught Star Wars Crafting with Bonnie Burton. Thought I spotted MandyBu in front of me and I was right. Met Liz Lee and Josh got a photo with her.
1500: Headed over to the official Star Wars Merch area and picked up some postcards and the Boba Fett poster
1530: Attempted to go to the cancellation station with no avail; line over 100 deep and Force Cast show on the horizon.
1615: Force Cast show live! Appeared to be it's busiest showing at SWCV. Sat behind a man with a large behind that wouldn't sit down and had to crane to see Jason. Met Eric and got trading cards too. FC live show=Jamie in a tizzy.
1700: Left a bit early to grab a quick dinner of pizza and get ready for the TFN party.
1900: Raspberry 6 bus to arrive fashionably late to the TFN party. What a blast! Josh, Joe, and I are all losers in the raffles, loud mall punk Star Wars band, a lady with a jug of blue milk, and loads of laughter. Met Jason, Jimmy Mac, Kyle Newman, MandyBu & James Arnold Taylor. Dave Filoni mobbed, so didn't want to add to the crew, but hyperventilated when I was nearby anyway. Me to myself: "Deep breaths Jamie, you're always a spaz but you're really spazzing out now!"
2330: Taxi home with new friends, Joe L. and Amy, walk to Walgreens, and to bed after a little Golden Girls. "Thank you for bein' a friend."

Friday
800: Slept in, knowing that there would be no sleep the next night. Bagels and OJ for brekkie.
1030: Sounds of Star Wars with Ben Burtt. It is so cool to hear what he has to say about sound design and collection. Talked about creating sounds from John Wayne and Kirk Douglas discarded tapes at the production studio. Mr. Burtt was one of my panel favorites last time too.
1200: Force Cast Live show! Stayed for the first 15 minutes but had to run to catch a burrito for lunch with Joe M. Hello day 2 trading cards!
1300: The art of story boarding Clone Wars with Dave Filoni. Dave arrives just in time with Meagan Finnerty and claims that he hasn't really prepared. Still, what he shares is amazing. Talks about his history, education, employments, and what brought him to his directorial and artistic point of view. Proceeds to demonstrate how to draw out storyboards and how to use camera locations to tell the story. "Dave, will you be my life mentor??" Josh and I seriously spellbound.
1400: Celebration V Bounty Hunt with Josh and Joe M. on team Triple J Express. Answered questions then went out to seek the people who stamp our booklet when we get a clue right. Slow start as they characters weren't dressed as their clues (i.e. the clue was Chewie but the person was dressed as a scout trooper). Finished in time and handed it in at 1600. Decided not to go to the award ceremony because we all always lose but had fun in the process.
1600: Walked the exhibit hall with Joe M. to get photos with the scenes set up. Josh is transformed into Starkiller and carbonite Han for his Demille-esque close-up.
1800: Why we love the prequels with Kyle Newman, Eric, Tom Hodges, James Arnold Taylor, Dave Filoni, Jesse Hildreth. Preaching to the choir! Love to hear positive and constructive discussion about the prequels. Josh and I are waaay into it.
1900: To our Indian dinner adventure with Josh, Joe M., and Joe L. Pact made to make it into the live hall to see George Lucas together, no exceptions. If we don't make it into the live hall, we aren't going. It's a deal! :)
2100: Back to the hotel, but feeling suspicious that the GL queue is growing. Josh and I shower and head over to the line at 2200.
2200-1100: Queuing for ages. Outside on the concrete for most of the night with both Joes. Met Alan, Jay, Julian, and Chris in line; more Celebration friends to meet up with next time. Moved inside around 600. Very little sleep but for short naps. That will be me playing the role of zombie-wife to Josh.

Saturday
700: Joe M. gets us all brekkie from McDs. He's the hero for the day!
730: Our little group meeting with Josh and the Joes to dish over GL, favorite jedi, and our pact.
1000: Me: "Hey! Is that jedishua!?" Indeed. Surprise myself and go over to chat regardless of being shy.
1030: Finally to the Chapman hall, sitting on the left in the lower section of the theater. Pact honored!!! Exhausted but so excited. Good DJ to get us pumped. Journey, "Don't stop believing!!"
1100: George interviewed by John Stewart. News flash: Obi from planet of Stewjohn. Special guests Carrie Fisher and Mark Hamil. George says the Clone Wars crew is working on season 5 already.
1230: Lunch at Denny's with Josh and the Joes then run back to hotel for quick refresh; Josh stands in line for the next panel.
1420: Run (literally) the whole way from the hotel to the OCCC and inside the OCCC to get to Josh and Joe L. just in time before queue goes into Valencia room.
1430: Clone Wars Season 3 Revealed with Dave Filoni. The scenes were amazing, the animation looked great. Cad Bane with a lightsaber!? Satine is back! Exploration of Dathomir and the sith witches, Grevious, Asoka visions, Darth Maul's brother. So glad that the premier is just around the corner so there is something SW related to look forward to when SWCV is over. Q&A put Dave in tight spots when multiple children asked difficult questions. A lot of hiding under the hat, red cheeks, and trying to start a sentence with "There...There.......There...." News: there will be some connections to the original trilogy [this season], George wants Asajj to have more of a story, Dave surprised about George's "season 5" comment, Dave says the series will go on as long as the fans support the show an like watching.
Note to Dave: please forgive the girl half way back on your right who kept nodding off. Exhausted from waiting for GL but I was totally listening!
1530-1730: Walked around with Josh and Joe L. to see the Ralph McQuarrie artwork and the TK stormtrooper helmet art project. Then down to the exhibit hall where we all split up. Desperately searching for a place with coffee that wasn't closed. Ran into Kyle Newman and met Jaime King; totally word vomiting because of exhaustion; please forgive me! (Couldn't even tell Jaime that I thought she was cool since the mid 1990's when I knew her as the model, James King. I thought her name was awesome and wanted to change my name because I'm named after my grandpa, James, who I adored. But instead, "Jaime, your work is amazing" is all I could inspire.) Grabbed the cards from the Force Cast show that I missed, saw Dave Filoni again, and met up with the Josh and Joe L. Quick pizza with Joshie while queuing for the next show.
1800: Clone Wars behind the microphone with a crew from the cast- James Arnold Taylor, Dee Bradley Baker, Jaime King, Catherine Taber, Ashley Eckstein, Matt Wood, Tom Cane. JAT did a spectacular voice melding presentation to show how voices are related and went from one to the next with 30+ examples. The group answered questions about how to get into voice acting, which was really cool. What a gracious bunch of people.
1900: ESB screening with Josh and Joe M. What a perfect way to end Celebration. Couldn't believe how good it looked on that screen! Awake now for about 40 hours.
2115: Walk back to hotel, pack, and sleep. CV is over for us. :(

Joe M., Josh, Jamie, Joe L. (Photo by Alan L.)

1000 Saturday morning, waiting to shuffle into the Chapman Theater to see GL interview. 26 hours awake and counting. We already know we've honored our pact to get in to the live show. Celebration is all about making new, great friends.

Sunday
345: Wake up to ready for drive to airport
430: Drive to airport
630: Flight to Atlanta
1000: Flight to Pittsburgh
1300: Delirious and home. How is it over already??
2000: Some unpacking. "What's that?" My sweetheart bought me the Star Wars themed word magnets. I love this man! :)

Oh my

2010-08-18T20:30:00.002-04:00

Don't judge my absence--it's been a busy couple of weeks, especially for those of you who may have also attended Celebration (and for those of you who didn't attend and haven't realized yet, I happen to become exponentially nerdier by the moment. I do not apologize for the following outburst that will perfectly convey that.).

Without further ado, a meme catchup!

Day 9: Your favorite movie character: Obi Wan. Always and forever, young or old, Obi Wan.

Day 10: Your favorite EU character: The bad and the beautiful, Assaj Ventress

Day 11: Your favorite weapon: Thermal Detonator. A pocket-sized way to settle arguments. Alternatively, the Death Star 2

Day 12: Your favorite non-human species/race: Bothan

Day 13: The most memorable death: Anakin Skywalker, Revenge of the Sith

Day 14: Your favorite EU novel: Death Troopers, by Joel Schreiber

Day 15: Your favorite vehicle: AT-AT. Some would say arduous, but I would say it looks like a tin dog-turtle.

Day 16: Your favorite planet: Bespin

Day 17: Your favorite romance: Satine & Obi Wan. Can we call that a romance?

Day 18: Your favorite scene: Duel on Mustafar between Anakin & Obi Wan, Revenge of the Sith

6, 7, & 8

2010-08-09T00:12:00.000-04:00

Day 6: Your favorite political entity

Bail Organa

Day 7: Your favorite creature

Bantha!

Day 8: Your favorite movie

Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back

I really love every episode, but this one is my favorite.

I could name so many reasons to justify this choice, but I'll sum it up in two words:

Irving Kirshner

Day 5, Star Wars Meme!

2010-08-05T23:21:00.000-04:00

Day 5: Your favorite pirate

Who could possibly make the choice!? It's like letting your children know that you have a favorite kid instead of just pretending that you are impartial as every other normal parent does!

And so it is, the old smoothie, Lando, and his old friend Han FTW.

Finally, a new recipe

2010-08-05T23:15:00.002-04:00

I don't have to tell you twice that it has been awhile since I've done a proper post, so without further ado, let's kick it off with a new recipe!

I for one had previously loved fried rice. There is something so satisfying about a good one-bowl rice dish. The normal restaurant ingredients kept me away for years, as there is usually pork at worst and eggs at best included. So the search began for a recipe. I wasn't pleased at all with what I found. If you haven't noticed, I'm not a crunchy-granola type of hippie vegetarian. What I decided to try to appease my demanding taste buds was an amalgam of two recipes: one tofu scramble for the eggs and one restaurant-style fried rice recipe. Here's how it goes:

Vegetarian Fried Rice, Restaurant-style:
Ingredients:

Tofu Scramble / Eggs-
1 package firm tofu, pressed dry and crumbled
1 Tbsp almond milk (or milk that you prefer)
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp nutritional yeast
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp white pepper (I used black, which worked fine)

Fried rice-
2 cups dry brown rice
4 cups water
1 to 1 1/4 cup diced carrot (about 2 carrots)
1 to 1 1/4 cup frozen or fresh peas
1 cup roughly chopped white or yellow onion
1 to 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
Prepared tofu from above
soy sauce or Braggs amino acids to taste (I used about 1 Tbsp I think)
sesame oil to taste (I used about 1 tsp)

Directions (in the order of cooking and timing):

1. Rinse rice and soak for about 15 minutes. Drain.
2. Add rice and 4 C. water to rice cooker and cook per normal instructions.
3. In a small pot, boil water and then add carrots for 3-4 minutes. Then add peas for additional minute.
4. Drain vegetables from water.

--now, moving to the tofu scramble recipe--

5. In a large saute pan heat oil at medium-high and then add crumbled tofu. Cook for 4 minutes.
6. Mix turmeric, nutritional yeast, salt, pepper, mustard. Add mixture to the tofu, mix, and cook until evenly distributed.
7. Add milk, mix, and turn off stove.
8. Move tofu to separate dish.

--returning to main recipe--

9. With the saute pan fairly clean, add oil and bring to temperature at medium-high.
10. Add onions and cook until transparent, about 5 minutes. (do not saute or caramelize onions; adding a Tbsp of water may help steam the onions if they start to brown before they are cooked).
11. Add carrots, peas, and tofu and cook for 2 minutes.
12. Add the cooked rice and mix. (**note: I used a lot of tofu in my recipe for more protein. You may want to use less tofu and have a ration more similar to real restaurant style rice)
13. Add soy sauce to taste.
14. Remove pan from heat and add sesame oil. Enjoy!

Day 4 of Star Wars Meme

2010-08-04T15:21:00.001-04:00

Day 4: Your favorite moment to mock
In my home, quotes from our favorite shows and movies certainly abound, whether it is the exclamation of "Bonster!" from G.O.B. on Arrested Development, a yelp of "Fantastic!" from Doctor Who, or "These aren't the droids you're looking for" from Star Wars, our studied entertainment isn't far off when we're together.
There are quite a few scenes that could receive this award in the Star Wars universe, but I think the award must go to a line from Darth Sidious in Revenge of the Sith. The scene is in Palpatine's office just after he has swiftly killed the Jedi sent to arrest him except for Mace Windu. Windu, able to hold Sidious off, has him cornered and is first trying to arrest him. And then it begins... Sidious exclaims, "No, NO, NO, NO!" in the most amusing tone, and I usually can't keep from giggling when I watch the movie. Ian McDiarmid perfectly plays Sidious in this moment where he loses grasp of his temper and unleashes hell and fury on Windu, but the "NO"s are nonetheless funny. So, if you can imagine Josh and I at the store and Josh asking if we should buy something benign like a gallon of OJ and me exclaiming "NO!" like mini-Sidious, you are understanding things perfectly.

Days 1, 2, & 3

2010-08-03T20:37:00.003-04:00

Day 1: Your favorite character

Always and forever, Obi-Wan Kenobi. There's a shocker. Whether it is the uber handsome Ewan McGregor, the gracious Sir Alec Guinness, or the vocally talented James Arnold Taylor portraying Obi-Wan, this character keeps my interest piqued with the balance of action and stoicism.

Day 2: Your favorite villain

Darth Maul, played by Ray Park, is portrayed to be a one-track-mind sith intent on carrying out evil doings with stealthy and precise action. Not one to be loquacious, his character was fear inducing from his actions and striking presence. It was a sincere disappointment when he died so easily at the hands of yet-padawan Obi-Wan in TPM. It certainly helps my draw to the character knowing that Ray Park is supremely talented in physical skill and he is an amazing ambassador of Star Wars to this day.

Second place in this category goes to Darth Vader. There are many-a Prequel hater out there who claim to be die hard fans that I just can't agree with on this item. Vader is amazing in the original series and he inspires fear and anxiety with his imposing physical presence and complete disregard for mercy or even logic under the influence of his own blinding anguish. Did we consider that his mercilessness was the result of his own deep fragility? I didn't even know that it was anguish that drove his behaviour until the Prequels (and now Clone Wars) came along and made that storyline so much richer.

Day 3: Your favorite diva

Ok, I'm going to get a little bit technical here with a definition:

diva (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/diva)

1 a : prima donna 1 b : prima donna 2
2 : a usually glamorous and successful female performer or personality ; especially : a popular female singer s>

Now that we have established that, I would say that Satine Kryze from the Clone Wars series is my choice diva. She is successful, controlled, intelligent, and alluring.

If we are talking the popular use of diva not associated with the definition, Asajj Ventress is my choice. She too is controlled, intelligent, and alluring all while being dangerous, pushy, and skilled with the Force.

The Star Wars Challenge

2010-08-03T19:53:00.001-04:00

Thanks to MandyBu at theadorkable.net/ I have something Star Wars-y to post about, as if that were ever the issue. The rules and topics are below. If you'd like to play too, copy the list over and be sure to comment to let me know you are doing it too.

Ground Rules: Post a response a day on your respective blogs, tumblrs, LJs, twitters, or scribe it on the walls of your home with crayons and then upload it to Flickr.

30 Days of Star Wars
Day 1: Your favorite character
Day 2: Your favorite villain
Day 3: Your favorite diva
Day 4: Your favorite moment to mock
Day 5: Your favorite pirate
Day 6: Your favorite political entity
Day 7: Your favorite creature
Day 8: Your favorite movie
Day 9: Your favorite movie character
Day 10: Your favorite EU character
Day 11: Your favorite weapon
Day 12: Your favorite non-human species/race
Day 13: The most memorable death
Day 14: Your favorite EU novel
Day 15: Your favorite vehicle
Day 16: Your favorite planet
Day 17: Your favorite romance
Day 18: Your favorite scene
Day 19: Your favorite era
Day 20: Your favorite Star Wars spoof
Day 21: Most memorable John Williams music
Day 22: Your favorite droid
Day 23: Your favorite Jedi
Day 24: Your favorite force power
Day 25: Your favorite cartoon adaptation
Day 26: Most heart breaking moment
Day 27: Most heroic moment
Day 28: Least favorite moment
Day 29: How would you introduce a new comer to Star Wars
Day 30: What would you like to see regarding the future of Star Wars

Eleven

2010-04-08T21:06:00.000-04:00

Eleven years ago today my life changed forever.

Eleven years ago--almost to the moment--I found out you were gone.

One year ago and a few months, I reunited with your closest friend and finally turned things around.

And despite the fact that I can't call you, hear you, look at you, hug you, laugh with you,

I am finally victorious.

"And the last enemy that shall be destroyed is death." 1 Corinthians 15:26

Howdy

2010-04-06T23:56:00.001-04:00

Well, it's been long enough, huh!? Well, the blogging break came on because things have been busy here around the ranch (have to keep consistent with this western thing I have going I guess :]). We've had: an emergency weekend road trip to New Jersey; a major holiday and the first one we spent without any family; family baking and card playing; another sermon by Josh and his first time presiding; two birthday parties; Josh starting a new job; cooking galore; spring (hello!!); and more!

I have plenty of photos to share, but I'm going to start with tonight's very yummy dinner and a recipe and eventually I'll work back through what else has been going on.

Taco fixin's plate: avocado, cilantro, radish, romaine lettuce, cherry tomato, and tofu

(diced and marinated overnight in low sodium veg broth, a few squirts of Braggs, and a few teaspoons of your choice dry taco seasoning. Bake in your toaster oven, turning every 5-10 minutes until perfectly crispy)

The best soft tortillas ever (Alejandro's, but my rule of thumb for flour tortillas is less than 8 ingredients with no preservatives), cut in half and folded in half then baked in the toaster oven until crispy.

Make tacos to your liking and with the surprising side of coleslaw

Coleslaw Recipe:

6-8 oz. cabbage and carrot shredded or broccoli slaw or whatever mix you like

2 1/3 Tbsp. Veganaise (in this recipe, veganaise is better than regular mayo)

1 1/2 tsp. vegetable oil

3/4 Tbsp sugar

2 tsp. sherry vinegar

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. black pepper

1/4 tsp. poppy seeds

I am a queen of substitutions in recipes, especially being vegetarian, but I wouldn't miss sherry vinegar for this one. It really adds something to the mix. Hope you find some inspiration for fresh, spring food!

Josh and I trotted off on a little date day this Saturday past where we walked down to Pittsburgh's Strip District in the morning to try to find a green grocer comparable to Tucson's 17th St. Market or Berkeley Bowl (total fail, by the way) and proceeded to a nearby theater in the afternoon to see How to Train your Dragon. The story was so very cute and I hope you get a chance to check it out. Look how cute this character is! The animation aesthetic and stylization was really together and made the story richer:

Image found here

Well folks, that's it. I hope you've been well and have had an excellent Easter and Passover season. Goodnight!

Listening: Forcecast live @ www.forcast.net

Obsessing over: Season 5 start of Doctor Who in a week+!!

A movie about babies!!

2010-02-27T10:33:00.001-05:00

Here's what made me laugh today:

Preview of the film Babies from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=db3Fifi8JiY

Have a happy weekend! :)

Fancy seeing you here

2010-02-22T21:23:00.002-05:00

Well, I'd like to say that I was on an adventure carrying out an important secret mission, requiring me to be incommunicado, or that I was still so blissed out from Valentine's Day that I was in a silly love coma, or that we had a heat wave here in Pittsburgh and all employers and schools called for a week off to shed puffers and caps for bikinis and trunks to capture some sun, but it would not be true sadly. What I have been doing instead:

Catching some awesome Winter Olympics in the beautiful BC Canada
Generally ignoring Facebook, Twitter, etc. except for E-mail, which I did ok with for now
Mostly not stretching or exercising enough (hey now, let's be real)
Making some delicious dinners and trying new recipes (we'll come back to this soon)
Obsessively watching Doctor Who (case in point, I finished 4 seasons worth in 2 weeks. I wonder if this had any affect on 2 or 3?)
Attending a Pittsburgh Youth Symphony Orchestra performance at the lovely Heinz Hall and dinner with a cool couple from our church family
Packing dresses, books, and earrings up to go out o'er the nation (thank you etsy, ebay, and amazon, but no thank you for your rising costs.). One very pretty Behnaz Sarafpour dress left for a great deal--$8!-on my Ebay site. Josh contributed by showing in the Steifel Fine Arts Center Crosscurrents Exhibit in Wheeling and selling his piece by the time we arrived to the opening show! Congrats, Joshers! :)
Finally getting back to church (ours has been closed for weeks because the neighborhood was covered in snow and with no parking), and it felt so good
Organizing, organizing, ORGANIZING! Meeting some of my smaller resolutions by condensing, selling, tossing, giving to thrift, etc. In the past week Josh and I sorted piles and piles of paperwork that we hadn't touched since Tucson!

And that brings us back around to now(ish). Today--well, let's be honest again--was total crap. Just one day of this dismal overcast mist unwound my spirit. Instead of going for the warming and filling food when I got home, Josh and I decided on bright, fresh veggies instead and it hit the spot.

Josh's specialty, the Ultimate Veggie.Avocado, carrot sheds, romaine, tomato, and marinated then baked tofu on whole wheat Italian Bread

Chickpea salad, my specialty. Chickpeas a diced slice of tomato and chunk of carrot and a 1/4 c. cilantro. Dress with fresh vinaigrette of juice of 1/2 lemon, one clove minced garlic, 1 Tbsp Rice vinegar, few Tbsp. of olive oil (maybe 3?), squirt of good mustard, and salt, pepper and Nature's Seasoning to taste. In a pinch, Wishbone Italian seasoning works instead.

One of the projects I was dying to try out was inspired by Tea & Laundry's Emily. As is the case with Josh and I, Emily and her cute little family have moved around over the past few years, which is enough to make you look at your belongings in a whole new light (especially when you have no intention of staying where you are :) ). So, Josh and I talked about it, came to an agreement/compromise (read: I am ruthless with trashing stuff and he's a keeper) and then proceeded. Here are our results:

DVD collection before

Fodder for the recycler :)

DVD shelf after, a much happier place

A satisfying condensing, done and done. Josh shortly after added the labels for the DVD case and the two DVD inserts and covers boxes.

I took a note from Emily's page and went for the Ikea storage boxes--a clean, cheap, and chic option. For the DVDs that are just fun to watch and aren't collectibles or box sets, we put the discs into white paper CD sleeves and into the media sized box. Josh wasn't comfortable with throwing the inserts and case art out, so we pulled all of the paper to go into shorter, matching boxes. We figured this way our condensing could be undone if needed. So far the DVDs are in alphabetical order but I'll also alphabetize the inserts as well as make letter separators for the discs. Easy as pie, and we get to recycle all of those cases!

The past two weeks have brought wins and a few losses with my resolutions, but I'm keeping them in mind and moving forward! Well, that about wraps it up kiddos. What have you all been up to? I hope only the best things.

xo,
j

P.S.What is going on with all of the super-hokey ice dancing costumes in the couples competition this Olympics? It's like a bad Disney movie adaptation out there.

Right now:

Watching: ski jumping on the Olympics

Snack time: blackberries and chai

Josh: next to me on the couch making Bauhaus style NHL logos for funsies. They're cool!

Sweet Hearts

2010-02-10T22:46:00.000-05:00

Reading my sister(-in-law)'s blog had me thinking more about Valentine's Day crafts and, as we (Josh and I that is) happen to have a good stockpile of heavy, white paper, I started to play with simple heart strands for fun. They aren't very creative but they make the house festive and Josh likes them, which is the whole point. :) That, and they weren't fussy, which is up my alley.

Happy Valentine's Day, lovebirds!

What are your plans?

P.S.-The best V-day cards for all your mates can be found here

It was Friday night

2010-02-07T20:15:00.000-05:00

We tried another new (to us) recipe from Smitten Kitchen for yellow dal. Josh and I were totally swooning over it on the spot. You can find the recipe here and below are our photographs from out turn at it:

We're still snowed in with plenty of food and things to do. Josh and I shoveled for hours yesterday and did just a little upkeep with it today too. Today we ventured out to the quick mart just outside of the neighborhood for some desperate necessities--root beer & donuts. Now, it's time to catch up on part II of Emma before part III comes on in an hour. Oh, that headstrong, silly, Emma! :)

Snowed In

2010-02-07T01:41:00.003-05:00

Hello out there!

We are totally snowed in here in the inner city of Pittsburgh, PA, with a ~~snow storm~~ blizzard that started on Friday afternoon and finally sputtered out sometime in the late morning on Saturday. It's funny how a change in the weather like this changes everything--neighbors are out and about shoveling around their cars for whenever it may be that the roads are cleared or they are sliding down snow-covered roads on tubes, discs, or whatever they can find.

Josh and I both ventured out last night for a good, long walk in the snow and then again today to shovel out the sidewalks, driveway, our car, and our landlord's car so that we're ready too. I'm still going through all of the photos I have which I will post soon on flickr, but here are a few for now:

Did you notice the column of snow on top of the telephone pole? I didn't until I looked at the photo.

On the list for tomorrow:
-~~make pizza (if we can find a dough recipe for what ingredients we have) or spaghetti--either way with~~ this ~~simple and yummy sauce recipe.~~ Done and yum.
-~~bake brownies from this recipe~~ (isn't it wonderful when you find a recipe that can be made from things in your pantry? Aside from that, we need something sweet here, stat.) Disastrously done. I halved the recipe and didn't have the right size pan, so it didn't cook exactly right with too much batter. That said, the batter was awesome and I used the Ener-g egg replacer. I will try it again.
-~~finish editing photos and upload around the interwebs~~ Now uploaded on flickr! Check out the snowiness!
-maybe start on the taxes??? Aw, who am I kidding here.
-~~Watch part III of the miniseries, Emma, on PBS.~~ :) Additionally, PBS is kind enough to have the episodes available online for a limited time, so you can catch up if you'd like. The best, as expected.

I hope you are all safe out there!

Jamie
xo

Reading: the latest edition of The Herald

Watching: Star Wars, the Clone Wars: Voyage of Temptation

Listening: Would be Peter, Bjorn & John, but I'm going to bed.

Sandwiches!

2010-02-03T23:26:00.000-05:00

Dinner on Tuesday night:

BBQ Seitan (a wheat gluten protein) sandwich with mozzarella.

It was a yummy adaptation from a Philly style seitan sandwich we got at Spak Bros. Pizza here in Pittsburgh. The homemade seitan recipe came from www.pitseel.etsy.com, who has great, super cheap, vegetarian recipes for sale. Remember, sandwiches do not have to be boring. :)

xo

p.s. Just saw Julie & Julia this weekend and loved it! I rarely get to see "girlie" movies and thought this was fun and inspirational. It doesn't hurt that I've liked Julia Child since I was a kid, but gosh, how little I know about her! (not that I'm thinking this movie was an accurate or full biopic or anything of the sort). As someone who has come to her own impasse in life, I was really happily lifted and inspired to look around with fresh eyes. Now I think I'll try to find a cheap copy of My Life in France to pore over. What did you all think of the movie if you caught it?

Be a deer

2010-02-01T23:49:00.000-05:00

About a month ago I saw coverage on a local TV channel on a story of a domesticated deer living with an Ohio family. I love deer, oryx, and antelope--they are such sweet looking animals and strong vegetarians. I like that they are generally tranquil beings and that they are generally free and not domesticated. Well, then I saw this story on the "news" and I've hardly laughed so hard in my life. I wasn't able to find the exact video, but I did find another news clip from the event that is here for your enjoyment.

Video courtesy of Fox Atlanta

Another video here with the sneaky pete at the very end, which is what made the original video I watched so funny. I so wish I could find the original that I saw, which was cheesier and with poorer quality video, only adding to how strange and cute the living arrangement is in that home, but it was nowhere to be found.

More on nature, a former colleague of mine traveled to Namibia this year and took some amazing photos. If you have a chance, browse through them here. There are a lot of photos, but viewing them is an experience unto itself if you are interested in nature, animals, sub-Saharan Africa, or the desert. You'll only be sorry if you miss it. :)

Making good

2010-01-28T01:27:00.000-05:00

In accordance with my first resolution, I have been trying to sneak in extra walks and workouts here and there. Nothing too impressive, but I am doing better than I was by the end of last year.

For Christmas, Josh gave me a book that I had only mentioned to him one time: The New York City Ballet Company Workout book. It was published in the mid-1990's and it has not only fitness and interest value to me, but sentimental value as well.

My sister, Jeri, had owned this book and--like most of her possessions--she graciously shared this one with me. I loved doing the workouts and found them challenging and satisfying. Even when I was most fit, my muscles were always tight because of a genetic hip problem I have, so this I expect again to be a continuous challenge to add to my workout. During the later years of my sister's life, things were quite unpredictable with her and--as it often happens in situations darkened by drug use--many of her and our possessions disappeared. Josh helped remedy that this Christmas and I was most grateful.

I hope your progress on your resolutions is going well and better than my own! Keep that new year spirit going!

Today (well, yesterday now) was Holocaust Remembrance Day, Yom HaShoah, which is on the anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz camp. Remember the terrible and purposeless actions, subjugating and wasting so many individuals of various walks of life and let us never allow it again. Preserve human dignity, the right to it, and the right to live. Let us have hope that hearts have grown. That is my prayer.

xo

Star Wars Meets A-Team

2010-01-24T15:07:00.008-05:00

Star Wars fan or not, you should watch this. HILARIOUS!

Friday

2010-01-23T12:00:00.001-05:00

The weekend's just begun and it's already been fun. Our friends, George & Lysa are in town and we met up with them, George's siblings, and our friend Will for a great night out of Southern Indian at Udipi then back to Allison and Adam's for some invigorating games on the Wii.

 mysore masala dosa starts with mmmmmmm 

on the quiet, content ride home :)

A few more photos up at flickr

This morning, cereal, juice, and hot chai tea in front of the TV to catch Star Wars: The Clone Wars new episode from last night, Lightsaber Lost. This episode was great and the animation gets better with each new chapter released. I couldn't believe how wonderfully made the lighting and Coruscant backdrop were and the new characters were dark and capricious. The back alleys in the G17 reminded me of mars in Total Recall a bit, making me laugh, but this was done so much more artfully. Ahsoka's behaviour under the pressure of having her lightsaber stolen and then her actions in secret from the large part of the Order made me ponder more about how her story will unfold and where her path will lead and eventually end. Regardless, I think she's a wonderful character and am so happy that GL enlightened us all (via Dave Filoni) that Anakin had a padawan. Go to theForce.net for an episode review if you want to see more.

I hope your weekend is swell, wherever you are.

Jamie xo

Bloggy post roundup fun!:

Zombie attack survival guide at www.bomtron.blogspot.com

Our fantastical family history also at bomtron

Loved the Under $100 dresses at refinery29, esp. the BCBG MA number

Aussie Anna's super sweet mommy blog at http://rummeybears.blogspot.com/

A small update

2010-01-20T01:03:00.005-05:00

:::Update from This just in:::

The evening was pretty successful and I hung onto my energy! Managed to list new things in the etsy shop, make a new pair of silver sky earrings with cadmium red accents, get a brisk walk in with the hubbers, listen to another great forcecast (will be available for download on Friday), and sneak in some good laughs.

On the way home from work today Josh and I were discussing the widespread availability and acceptance in Pittsburgh of products that skirt around the licensing and trademarking of our NFL team, the Steelers. Almost more than you see official gear you see the unofficial, such as: an American style flag with black and gold stripes and a gold and black generic skyline where stars should be and "Steel Nation" haphazardly slapped on; yellow signs and magnetic ribbons that say "'luv ya' gold & black" (yes, friends who know me, the spelling infuriates me. sigh. gasp. big surprise); toboggans in black adorned with "Pittsburgh" in the Steelers font; and the list can go on, friends!

What we were specifically discussing is that we couldn't think of another city home to an NFL team where this would be so widely accepted. San Diego Chargers? Miami Dolphins? Denver Broncos? I'm just not buying it and I don't think the locals would either. New York City is the only place where it may actually happen that there is a lot of unlicensed stuff floating around, but I don't think it's as widely accepted by the local community as it is here.

So, Josh and I decided to take this into our own hands and create some uber generic sayings that go beyond the boundary of association and would maybe make the hearty helping of all of this unlicensed gear a little more comical. Here's a glimpse of our brainstorming results: Pittsburgh Fan; Stillers N'at; Pittsburgh Cup Champions (for the Pens); Property of Steel City Pro Football; Team Stillers; Yinz'r goin' down N'at. I wish I could remember more and remember the ones that had us laughing so hard that we could barely breathe and that also brought me to laughing-tears. What would your slogans be?

As a result of moving to Pittsburgh, Josh has taken to adding "n'at" to the end of things, most specifically to the end of the fortunes from fortune cookies. You should try it too because "Many adventures are to come in your future, n'at". :)

Goodnight!

This just in:

2010-01-19T17:23:00.001-05:00

Home from work and feeling inspired to keep pushing on, mastering the resolutions and the to do list.

Embracing the light, and using the energy left to make some kind of fuel to keep working with into the night.

Near S.F., May 2009

Looking forward to: listening to the live show tonight, www.forcecast.com, 8:00EST

A night(re)cap

2010-01-19T00:39:00.000-05:00

Just a quick note before bed tonight:

I've finally had the chance to make a few new things and photograph a bunch of items that had been in the queue to go up into my etsy shop. Also, I added a few things to the sale section which are now not just cheap, but super cheap. Spring cleaning came early. :)

Take a look if you'd like: http://www.etsy.com/shop/theartofgrace

Here's a little preview:

I'm using up what I have left and am going in a different direction. I hope it goes over well, fingers crossed. So far, I'm not doing too badly with my resolutions. Let's hope I can say the same in 11 months.

For dinner, I tried a new and super simple recipe endorsed by the likes of smittenkitchen.com, orangette.com, and other reputable food bloggers out there. The meal is pasta with the most simple tomato sauce you've ever heard of, and it was pretty yummy. I think we'll try it again and build from it. I've already tucked it away in the things-I-can-make-from-scratch-and-can-freeze-for-future-dinners recipe section of my brain. Josh and I agreed that the recipe as is would be great for pizza sauce too.

Photo and recipe from www.smittenkitchen.com

I've also been doing a bit of upkeep with my digital photos. I have a lot that--shamefully--haven't even made it off of the card yet! Well, I'm working on that. I have some things uploaded to my flickr account, but there will be more to come.

Hope you've had a good Monday and a good MLK day. My favorite man in American history.

Keep praying for Haiti, keep scheming on how to help.

Read this heartbreaking story from a member of my world church:

http://www.cofchrist.org/news/2010/jan/Haiti-15Jan2010.asp

The weekend is here!

2010-01-15T08:04:00.000-05:00

A dozy cat-restaurant patron at a burrito stand in Willits, CA. May 2009

Well kids, the weekend's almost here!

I got a few things knocked off of my to do list and intend to keep forging ahead by Sunday afternoon. We have a going away party this evening and lots of family to visit, so it promises to be a busy one.

On the slate for next week is (finally) posting some updated jewelry to my Etsy shop, as I made a bunch of stuff last night and I've had a lot in the queue waiting to get photographed. Also, I'll be getting back to posting books and various things on Amazon and Ebay to get useful items into hands that can make use of them.

Have a great, safe, and warm weekend!

I'll keep dreaming of Arizona, California, and Mexico as I have been for the last 3 weeks. The photo above is from a side trip taken from San Francisco this past summer. Sigh... :)

Around the yard

2010-01-13T18:54:00.000-05:00

on the fence line

Nanuk, our yard dog that belongs to the owners of the home.

Oh, those sweet, chocolate eyes. What a good dog.

I'll be back to chipping away at that to-do list tonight--just after I get 10 minutes of "resting my eyes" as Josh would put it. According to him he only rests his eyes, he's never actually slept. ;)

Let's put our prayers and thoughts together for those who have suffered losses and injuries and lost life, friends, family, and everything else in Haiti. Big sigh heaved with a heavy heart.

I'll be determining how I can help likely through my church's plan at http://www.cofchrist.org/news/2010/jan/haitiearthquake.asp, but I'll also be on the lookout for other things that I can do.

The Treasury!

2010-01-12T19:03:00.000-05:00

I finally got a chance to make my own treasury on Etsy! Here's a screen capture of my finds:

visit N A T I V E on Etsy.com treasury

Not the clearest of photos, but you get the idea. Go leave a comment or take a look at other treasuries if you'd like! Josh (artist, illustrator, and husband extraordinaire, Bomtron) also got a treasury and has a neat little post titled ABE for Abe Lincoln things.

Hope you all are having a good night. This evening I'm working on a letter of recommendation, a few thank you notes, and excitedly awaiting the new Force Cast Clone Wars Roundtable with Jimmy Mac and Jason Swank starting at 8 EST. Can't wait to hear what they have to say about the first two episodes of the New Year. Come join us at http://www.forcecast.net/listenlive.asp and listen live tonight at 8!

Slowly and surely chipping away at my to-do list :)

Back to the cutting board

2010-01-11T22:58:00.000-05:00

With how cold and snow it is outside, I've been wanting to work on my winter recipes, and in particular those that I can make a good batch of to have for now and freeze for yummy, instant lunches and dinners later. I already have a great red lentil soup in the bag (the recipe is great, I just suggest adding cayenne pepper to spice it up and use garam masala instead of curry if you have it handy) from Vegetarian Times. I had mentioned a vegetarian chili recipe before, but I revisited it to write it all down to keep in my recipe book and share here too. Super simple, adaptable for your likes, and pretty quick to boot. I like things pretty spicy, so go light on the cayenne or omit it completely if it's not your thing. I hope you enjoy it too!

Vegetarian Chili:

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 1/4 cup onion, chopped
1 1/4 cup carrot, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 bell peppers, red and green, chopped
1 zucchini, chopped
1 1/4 cup celery, chopped
1 1/2 tsp dried basil
1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
4 tsp. chili powder
4 tsp. ground cumin
1/3 bag of morningstar farms crumbles (optional)
1 15 oz. can can beans with juice - kidney, pinto, or whatever you desire
1 28 oz. can peeled diced tomatoes with juice
salt and pepper to taste (I used around 1 1/2 tsp salt and 3/4 tsp black pepper)
3/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

Heat oil on medium in a large pot.
Add onion, carrot, and garlic when oil is heated and sautee until tender
Add celery, zucchini, peppers, and chili powder, cooking about 6 minutes
Add beans, crumbles, cumin, oregano, basil, and cayenne. Bring to the boil and reduce heat to medium.
Cover pot and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Discernment

2010-01-10T18:00:00.000-05:00

Just like most of us, whether we are spiritual, religious, neither, or other, I use both logic and spirit to discern many things in life; questions of philosophy, ethics, and religion as well as the everyday questions and concerns that arise. I was recently thinking about God and his nature. What is this being like? How does it sense, perceive, and discern? What is it like to look without the filter of the imperfect body, nor the constraints of culture, ethnicity, time, location, age, genetics, or sex? Then it hit me and--I preface this next part by saying that I don't believe that what I thought was a. unique, b. foolproof in correctness, or c. something that supersedes the feelings and inklings of others--I realized that (at least to me) the question of whether God was a man or woman seemed moot. Both sex (our physical qualities that make us male or female) and gender (our behavioural qualities, personality, and societal and cultural roles typically defined by our sex) are both flawed, human, and weakening factors to the spiritual divinity that is in us as individuals and part of God. Of course, I may be missing something--even an obvious something at that-- but I felt and continue to feel that God would not have gender or sex as we understand it at least.

Just my two cents, but what do you think?

Treats

2010-01-10T01:26:00.001-05:00

Josh and I returned this evening from a cozy and fun night at our friend's, Josh and Kate, house full and happy. Kate found a great recipe that we made together that was a cinch and I thought I'd share it here with you.

Eggplant Parmesan Casserole

Ingredients:
One large eggplant
Milk (or milk substitute such as plain soy or almond milk)
Breadcrumbs (we used 6 pieces of Tuscan whole grain bread, toasted in oven then run through the food processor until fine)
1/3 cup Basil
Shredded Parmesan
Flour
Your favorite marinara sauce, less than one large jar

Kitchen items required:
Glass baking casserole dish, around the size of 9"x5"x2"
Large baking sheet
Cooling racks
Food processor
3 shallow bowls or dishes with raised edges
kinfe
cutting board
vegetable peeler

Directions:

Peel eggplant and cut into thin rounds, around 1/8 to 1/4 inches
Set eggplant on cooling racks and salt on both sides to dehydrate for 10 minutes
Preheat oven to 350 Fahrenheit
Prepare separate, shallow bowls for dredging the eggplant: milk, flour, and breadcrumbs
Prepare large baking sheet at end of assembly line, greased with olive oil
Dredge eggplant in the following order: milk, flour, milk, breadcrumbs. Place on baking sheet, where eggplant can touch but not overlap. Top with a small amount of Parmesan on each round if desired.
Place baking sheet in oven for approximately 10 minutes, or until turning golden brown on bottom. Flip and bake for another 5 minutes or until bottom side is also golden brown. Remove from oven.
In casserole dish, spoon in a layer of marinara sauce, about 1/4 inch. Next layer eggplant pieces to cover whole area. Cover with a small layer of Parmesan. Layer on chopped basil then marinara sauce on top. Continue in this order: marinara sauce, eggplant, Parmesan, and basil until ingredients run out/or you reach the top of casserole.
Place casserole in oven (still on 350 Fahrenheit) for 35 minutes.
ENJOY!

In other food related news, Josh and I were invited to my brother and his girlfriend's house for a Christmas and New Year's celebration with my parents. They made a lot of delicious foods and we picked at the spread throughout the evening between chatting and card playing. Among the things they shared with us was a gift box of chocolates that they received from friends for Christmas, which were gourmet salted chocolate covered caramels. Words cannot express the taste, my friends. I love chocolate, but this was the absolute height of my chocolate experience. So, if you'd like to splurge and experience this yourself, you can try the real thing by visiting http://www.chocolatefetish.com/proddetail.php?prod=SSCGBO&cat=8 ($26.95).

Alternatively, I found an etsian chocolatier (www.Cupcakesinjars.etsy.com) who also makes the delicious bites at http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=37911529 ($11.50 for 1/2 lb.).

Yeeps, kiddies! Those are drool-worthy!

I hope you've all had lovely weekends and enjoy what is left of them. :)

What are your all time favorite treats out there?

Watching/listening: Clone Wars Season 1

With a little help from my friends

2010-01-05T21:27:00.003-05:00

Good evening, there! I hope the day has been treating you as well as it has treated me. I'm about to get set off in the kitchen for some culinary adventure but wanted to share a find with you all.

For those who like vegetarian and vegan food out there, I came across an Etsy seller a few months back who makes various vegetarian items such as seitan, veggie hot wings, and veggie chicken nuggets all from scratch and from whole foods. What a wonderful talent and how nice it would be to replace the processed, frozen vegetarian items we buy in stores with something homemade and more healthy.

Not too long after I became aware of the seller I noticed that items were not being posted in the shop anymore and popped in to see if the owner was on holiday or closed up. To my shock, I saw a note that informed me that she had recently become homeless and could not sell her foods and goods. It is painful to hear of such a serious misfortune when we live in a country where want and need are almost always met.

Then, this week I was looking through my favorite sellers and saw items up for sale again in her shop and popped in once more to find that she is still homeless but is selling her recipes for about $2 each. I bought 3 and she sent me 5 in my E-mail within about a day. I'm not sure how I can help, but I thought this was the best I could do: spread the word and hopefully drum up some interest so she can make a little more money. The shop can be found at

www.pitseel.etsy.com

Stop by and take a look if you can or maybe even just send a convo message of support.

Thanks for reading!

A new leaf

2010-01-04T22:47:00.000-05:00

I hope this new year has started off well for all of you readers out there! It was an exceptionally busy and enjoyable holiday for Josh and I here with this being our first Christmas with the East Coast family in a few years. In addition to that, we were trying to get extra time in with my parents before they departed for several months holiday in Florida--much deserved and well timed considering how bitterly cold it is already here.

So, let's talk about a little year in review and resolutions, shall we? I'm not usually a resolution maker myself, though I don't mind it when others do it. I think that a lot of my sporting discipline from youth makes me of the mind to think that now (whenever now is) is a perfect time to make things better if I have the resolve to do so, but nonetheless I found myself pondering resolutions this year as a natural thing to do and here's what I've come up with:

1. Be really fit. Simple and straightforward. I'm not into the gym life and never have been. I prefer old methods of staying healthy, including eating healthier and more whole foods and running, walking, and all other at home means of fitness. Also, I was totally and mind-bogglingly inspired by Rule 1 of Zombieland.

2. Work and Career success. I've been working steadily for a very long time considering my age. With little exception, I've had proper payroll jobs since 14 (I began my career working at an illegal age as a lifeguard, weighing in at 90 lbs. and I could pull over 300 lbs. of person out of the pool. I'd be lucky to pull in 150 lbs. now I think). I'd like to have a job that I like, to enjoy my life in balance with work, and make enough money to travel and take proper holidays, live where I want, eat healthfully, have decent clothes, splurge for presents for family and friends and strangers, and see movies on a somewhat frequent basis.

3. Put the eternal kibosh on the depression-funk. I've lived with this damn albatross 'round my neck for 15 years now. In 2009, I finally began to recover. The ten year milestone of my sister's death was really something to me. I was able to reunite with one of her good friends who has healthily accepted Jeri's passing and who is the only person I know who has done so. We had a few days together visiting where she brought videos from their antics in high school and we laughed and talked a lot about her. As lame as it is to admit, J.K. Rowling's book 6 and 7 of the Harry Potter Series also helped me immensely in changing my understanding of death and coping with death. Moments and even long periods of time during this last year are the first time ever in my adult life that I have been able to live without the deep wound of grief cutting into me incessantly. I believe it is my turn to live now.

4. Make the move. I don't know where we're going, but we can't stay here. But seriously, there's not much in the way of work here for either of us in Pittsburgh and though we are enjoying sincerely our time with friends and family, we are feeling more out of place than ever. Our direction is to move to New York, but I am also interested in Nashville, San Diego, and San Francisco. This year past was certainly one of change for us. We moved 2500 miles so I could attend University for a masters degree in archives and it was only after arriving that I discovered that the program is (in my opinion) a failure and irresponsibly managing itself. 50-100 students in all of your graduate classes is a joke. As of the first day of class, the leading professor only knew of 2 students that graduated from the previous year with jobs (perhaps as a result of their saturating the market?). I couldn't go on with how expensive it is and struggle to find work after, and so we are here now with no purpose. Here's to moving on!

5. Sell, sell, sell! I have an Etsy shop, and while I do enjoy jewelry making, my new goal is to use the rest of my stores, only buying what I need to finish projects, and sell everything off and put the shop on hold unless I find something at a later date that I am truly making. I'm reclaiming my personal time so I can spend it with friends and family and keeping up with those who aren't nearby. And, while we're on the topic:

6. Let's get together, yeah, yeah, yeah! Keep better contact with friends and family, near and far. Part of the problem is being busy and as a result being tired. When I finally get those moments to myself I really need them to recuperate. But it's gotten all twisted in my mind and then I associate phone time especially with having less recuperating time and being more tired. This is residual association from the crazy hours I worked in Arizona and I'm determined to reconnect the right way. Depression was also very damaging to making and/or keeping connections. It's easier to be alone when you are depressed--people don't notice as much, you don't have to try so hard, and making honest connections with people can sometimes hurt when you've numbed yourself just to move through your days. I'm not interested in going back.

7. Celebrate good times, come on! If you can't tell, I'm slightly into the Star Wars scene. This year, Celebration V, an official Star Wars convention and the fifth of it's kind, is going down in Orlando. In October Fan Days IV in Plano, TX. It will be my second Celebration and my first Fan Days if I can go to both, and I'd be so happy to get the chance. Here's to hoping it can happen!

8. Read. I read now more than I used to read (not including textbooks) and I must read more. Bible, philosophy, novel, fiction, non-fiction. Whatever my fancy, I'm going to read more.

So, as I depart on from this introspective and retrospective iteration, I am sure I am embarking on a journey that will involve a lot of change and transition in this new year and I will remind you of the following little bit of wisdom that has meant a lot to me in this last year:

The shell must break before the bird can fly. A. Tennyson

2009 was a year of shell breaking for me, so now I'm ready for 2010.

Many blessings to you all in this new year!

As for me, I have another niece or nephew on the way and two nieces to enjoy, lots of family, my and my husband's good health, and so, so much more to appreciate. We're off to a good start.

Listening: www.forcecast.net, in my head

Christmas Wishes

2009-12-16T22:00:00.001-05:00

I hope you and yours are gearing up for a happy Christmas and holiday season. Here's a little of how things are looking around our home:

Top left photo by Josh; all other photos by Jamie.
Mosaic by Josh

With all of our Christmas presents prettily packaged or shipped off to our loved ones at their various posts, there's nothing to do but enjoy the happy and reflective season and, for my husband and I, to enjoy each other.
Christmas is a smaller affair this year for us with presents, but there are so many blessings to count. I could never appreciate them all, but I can try.

Here's to the season, hoping it brings you all peace and joy!

Sincerely,

Jamie

Listening to: The holiday ForceCast, www.forcecast.com

Watching: The Maltese Falcon

The new art

2009-11-14T16:01:00.000-05:00

Josh, my husband, has been a busy bee with his new illustration series and he just popped a few items into his Etsy shop.

www.bomtron.etsy.com

Well, today I'm resting at home despite the beckoning sunshine promising a good dose of much needed and missed vitamin D. I am taking it easy from what I think is a sinus infection so I can be mended for work next week. I hope you are having a much more exciting weekend!

Some secrets to French chic

2009-11-12T21:35:00.000-05:00

Create Your Style:
Secrets Of Style: French Chic

2009-11-11T12:52:00.000-05:00

Hey there! It's been awhile and I am sorry for the delay. I've been toying around with some blogging ideas but haven't had the time to do much writing on here. Today I wanted to write about a few websites I've been checking out lately that might be helpful or fun for you.

First, I was thinking about perfumes and how--at least for me--difficult it is to find a new perfume. It's not even as easy as smelling 50 different pretty crystal bottles and remembering the complex nature of each when trying to make a decision and then finding that one again, but there is also the issue of how the concoction works on your skin. Before moving to Pennsylvania, I had decided I wanted a perfume of my own--one of good quality that I felt comfortable wearing day and night, for work and play. After many trips to department stores and leaving with little sampler strips that I would forget about I decided on Dolce and Gabbana's 6 l'Amoureux and I love it still.

While I was perusing the internet looking for some information on the notes in the perfume, I found a site with a very fun feature, where it lists which celebrities wear which perfumes and had fun looking through: http://www.perfume.com/dolce-gabbana/d-g-6-lamoureux/women-perfume. Stars that I like, such as Audrey Hepburn, Gweneth Paltrow, Sophia Coppola, Anne Hathaway, and Audrey Tautou amongst many others, are listed with some of the perfumes they have been known to like, use, or endorse over the years. I found myself wanting to try some of the following that I never even knew were out on the market:

Fracas Perfume for Women by Robert Piguet

Spring Flower Perfume for Women by Creed

Joy Perfume for Women by Jean Patou

Femme Perfume for Women by Rochas

Ivoire de Balmain Perfume for Women by Pierre Balmain

I thought it was really cool to see which stars went with heavier scents of amber, musk, and wood and which went with light scents of fruit and floral.

Go see who your scent soulmate is!

The other website I have been using is mint.com. This is a money management site with a lot of smarts! There are a lot of tools, bells, and whistles that make money management easier to understand and track. It was suggested from my sister, Amanda, to my other sister, Kaitlin, and I decided to check it out because Amanda is extremely savvy and knowledgeable about everything it seems. Well, this site didn't disappoint. I got started and plugged in my accounts information and found that charts and graphs of how our money is used already was a great insight into our spending and budgeting plans. The site automatically tries to tag your spending based on the store for use at restaurants, groceries, utilities, gasoline, clothing, etc. You can set monthly limits in different areas to help monitor your spending, as the site will alert you when you've gone beyond your monthly limit. It's a snap!

Hope this finds you all well out there.

Shoe Fettish

2009-11-04T21:38:00.000-05:00

Drooling over the sneak peak of the Jimmy Choo for H&M collection. If you are one of the lucky girls living in one of the cities selling these shiny new items and you happen to get in--well, God speed my gal pal friend, and wear those heels with style for the rest of us. For now, back to my drooling.

www.shoppingandinfo.com

http://audrey.buzznet.com/user/

Run and see now!

http://www.hm.com/us/fashion/jimmychooforhm__jimmychoo.nhtml#/jimmychoo/

p.s.-there are clothes too. eek!

watching: The new episode of Clone Wars and The Mark Twain Award show for Bill Cosby

Another Weekend Update

2009-11-01T23:30:00.000-05:00

Oh my, what a week! Sorry for the silence on my end, but I was having some introverted and introspective moments--more than usual. On an MBTI, I score in the very middle of introvert/extrovert and it is so true.

Tomorrow is my birthday and tonight Josh arranged a get together to meet our friends for dinner at Tamarind. What a fun night it was! I am still acclimating to having great friends around to do things with regularly. In Tucson, Josh and I were in our own bubble of sorts. We had one close friend and a few dozen friendly acquaintances who were all kind but busy with school. It is so novel to have friends of our own age around again and I feel so honestly and humbly grateful for having them all each moment. Here are some photos from the dinner:

Oh, the Josh's and their sweaters. This isn't the first time with the matching,

nor will it be the last. Also, are those my Meronas? :)

My birthday hasn't even happened, but it's already been great. Also, we caught the Saturday Nailers game. It was a loss, but it was still fun. We sit by our sister-in-law and niece, Addy and get to have our weekly catch-ups.

I hope you all have a good kick off to your week and find peace and contentment within yourself.

xo

p.s.- Sorry for the blur-o-vision; our camera is acting pretty strange.

Weekend Update

2009-10-25T22:14:00.001-04:00

Some clips from my family home this weekend, in the splendor of fall.

Hope it's been a good one.

Double Feature

2009-10-22T19:32:00.000-04:00

Good evening all!

Just a quick hello before popping out to go see the Toy Story double feature with Josh, Josh, and Ben. Also, I've been yelping again if you want to check out some new restaurant reviews. Have a great evening and a happy tomorrow--it's Friday kiddos!! :)

xo

Hockey Season

2009-10-22T00:37:00.000-04:00

It's hockey season, kiddos, so lets get out there and have some fun! I'll be going to the first home game for the Wheeling Nailers this Friday to support one of my favorite local teams. Last time I lived in Wheeling, I attended games regularly and it was a lot of fun just to be there and soak up the atmosphere. Get yourself some tickets and meet me out there!

Wheeling Nailers Hockey

xo

Fall Reemerges

2009-10-21T16:32:00.000-04:00

I haven't felt well today because of muscle strain in my back that has left me with a sick stomach, so I decided to stay home from work. I emerged from the house this afternoon to get some fresh air and found it was a beautiful, warm day outside.

Go out there and get some sunshine for yourself. :)

A Short Note

2009-10-20T23:49:00.000-04:00

Do you see girls dressed in ways that you wish you had the gumption to dress yourself? Sometimes I wonder how much that plays into what I actually decide to wear and how it shapes my style.

I knew this look was on the way in a few months ago when I started to see photos here and there, but wasn't sure how long it would take before it was adopted by the population. I did see one girl about town sporting it and it worked very well on her as she was tall and very thin and, like the photo below, stuck to conservative tones of navy and shades of gray. But does the look work? What do you think about the dressy short with tights look? Are there any other looks out there that you fancy but are too shy to court?

Jcrew

It was a slightly busy and definitely productive day with work, homemade pizza and video game date with the husband, and then a ride out to pick up some necessities and get some blissful driving time to listen to our book on tape, Death Troopers. The plot is getting intense now and it is very exciting. Also, it's so nice to have things in common with Josh that we can genuinely enjoy together.

Have a great evening and a better tomorrow.

oxo

Reading/Listening: Star Wars: Death Troopers by Joe Schreiber
Eating: Annie's Chocolate Bunny Crackers--addictive, these are!

Come Together Over Food

2009-10-18T23:42:00.000-04:00

I just finished writing a review over on my yelp account, and was thinking about the power of food in uniting people. Come together over food, share with good family and friends, give them bites of your best stuff, laugh, love, and cry with them. Goodnight.

xo

Wild Weekend

2009-10-18T22:21:00.002-04:00

Good Sunday evening to you all!

It has been another fabulous and relaxing weekend for me here. I am so thankful to have family that lives relatively close by but just far away enough that it feels like taking a mini-vacation every time we visit.

Joshua and I left on Friday after I finished work (which is going very well, by the way) and went to my parent's house to stay in Weirton. We took a long, long walk through my old neighborhood late at night and in the misty rain. It was quiet and relaxing and the kind of wet-cold that cuts through your jeans to make your skin marble cold and the heat of home sting on your bitten cheeks.

It makes me feel alive.

Saturday morning we caught the episode of Clone Wars (I may have to blog about episodes separately sometime--this series is so amazing written and made) that we had accidentally missed on Friday evening before scurrying down to Wheeling to go see Where the Wild Things Are with a great group of friends and one babe in tow. The film was visually beautiful and I really like the overall cohesive mood that was set with the colors, music and lighting. After the movie finished we split up and had dinner with Anna and Ryan at Golden Chopsticks (one of my two favorite Chinese restaurants), with lots of good conversation and laughs. Josh and I, just moving back near our original homes after living in Tucson for a few years, are still just reveling in the reality of having lots of our old friends around who we can see. We are so appreciative of it!

Check out the website at

http://wherethewildthingsare.warnerbros.com/

We finished up Saturday catching up with Josh's Grandma Viv and Pap, Dad, brothers, sister-in-law, and our niece, Addy, and then another long walk with just the two of us--this time in his neighborhood. We have our best talks then, walking around at night past dark houses, warm, covered windows, and the wet streets. I guess we really finished up the night by catching a little bit of SNL, with a hilarious sketch with Kenan Thompson of his talk show "What up with that," which Josh and I have subsequently been singing the theme since. Very sorry to report I can't find a video link to this skit, but hopefully one will show up soon.

Today we took our time and made our way home slowly and enjoyed the ride home in the sunny afternoon touching the fall leaves as we cut through the hills and listened to our Ebook, Death Troopers. I am really enjoying this book! It's considered the first horror themed book for Star Wars and it is really good so far. We are excited for our car rides to get a chance to listen to it.

That's it for now. Hope you have a good start to your week and a good end to your weekend. Enjoy the smallest of things and enjoy your life one moment at a time (this is for me as much as for you :) ). Until next time!

xo
Jamie

Watching: This week's episode of Clone Wars, again
Reading/Listening: Star Wars: Death Troopers by Joe Schreiber
Random Google of the day: squishy baby :)

Morning routine

2009-10-14T07:20:00.000-04:00

Taking in some chai tea, cereal, and BBC world news before going back to work. Next up: hair, makeup, dressing, and lunch making. Hope we all have a great day! :)

xo

p.s. - Have you read The Noisy Plume's Blog? She's simply wonderful and you should give it a try if you haven't yet. Great photos, powerful and witty writing, and unique jewelry designs. Have fun!

So lets dance, the last dance

2009-10-13T19:47:00.001-04:00

Hello lovelies,

It has been a gloriously relaxing and fulfilling day for me here, which was wonderful because I start a new job tomorrow. I squeezed in an Etsy update with some envelopes, surplus from Josh's and my wedding. Josh designed the invitations for our wedding and I thought they were lovely, on beautiful Opaline paper in shades of pearl white, antique gold, and robins egg blue. I love invitations with personal touches. I recently found an invitation design company, Rifle Events, who creates lovely and fun invitations and accouterments that are so personal.

Photo from Rifle Events, http://rifledesign.com/events/?cat=11

The illustrations and handwriting are so sweet, right?

Well, it's crisp again outside and I had the homemade chili leftovers, which was even better today and warmed my hands and insides to a comfy state. Now I'm off to be a responsible gal and gather my things together for my first day of work tomorrow. Just like the first day of school...I'll pack my bag, lunch, and put an outfit out. What a weenie! :) I'm not good at making important decisions that early in the morning.

Hope you are happy and well, wherever you are.

xo

Watching: American The Office Reruns

Wondering: What Paris looks and feels like in October

Listening: To Josh mending away at the broken sink pipe in the kitchen, oh my!

Getting Chili

2009-10-12T20:51:00.001-04:00

It's getting a little colder outside (especially for me, as I just moved to Pittsburgh from Tucson, AZ) so I decided to make chili and cornbread for a warm and filling dinner. I used a vegetarian chili recipe from allrecipes.com and tweaked it a bit to get it tasting to my liking. I did not add the mushrooms as suggested but did add about half of a chopped zucchini, only a small portion of the suggested garlic, about 1/2 to 1 tsp. more of cumin, 1/2 - 1 tsp. more chili powder, salt, and black pepper. Also, I used Morningstar Farms Crumbles to make the recipe heartier. It was quite good!

For the cornbread, I used the old fashioned cornbread recipe on the side of the Bob's Red Mill Cornmeal. I'll need to work on that one a bit, as it was my first try at cornbread. I'll look for a recipe that should make the bread more moist.

It's lovely to have warm things baking in the oven and cooking on the stove top when it's getting cold outside! Hope you've had a great day as well. I'm off to post some things in the Etsy shop, then for a long walk with the hubbers, reading, and then bed.

Oh, by the way, I'm looking to do some research on the Council of Nicaea; do you know of any books that are a good reference for this?

(below is borrowed from Emily I.'s blog, www.teaandlaundry.com)

Reading: Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris & Mark, chapter 2

Watching: Star Wars, Episode V

Listening: Imperial March :)

A new story

2009-10-12T12:52:00.003-04:00

Hello dearies,

It has been a lovely weekend for me, but here we are again on a Monday. This weekend Joshua (my husband) and I were able to squeeze in a couple of long walks in the crisp fall air, some shopping for a few new work clothes, posting some electronic goodies on our ebay site, catching up with my visiting cousin Suzie, my brother Ed and his girlfriend Ginger, and my parents over some good Italian food, watching Zombieland (loads of fun! More about it below) with our friend Ben, snuggling with the hubbers, and even catching a Sunday afternoon nap after church. It was a good one!

On Wednesday I'll be starting the new job at Carnegie Mellon University managing an archiving project. How exciting! I'm really interested in getting more experience with databasing there and think that this will overall be a good experience.

Zombieland was a fun movie. Both Josh and I really like zombie movies and I was excited that a new one was coming out that was not over-the-top gory. During my undergraduate years in college I started to have night terrors again so I don't watch horror or graphic movies much anymore because they trigger the dreams. While Zombieland definitely had it's graphic moments, it was mostly filled with moments of comedic zingers, great hand to hand combat with zombies, and Zombieland insights by the narrator, Columbus, played by Jesse Eisenberg. I especially liked the integration of the Zombieland rules into the story and found that I wanted more rules listed than they included. Woody Harrelson was wonderful as Tallahassee, both the anchor/anti-hero character but also serving as the loyal retainer in the group. Bill Murray makes a great cameo/appearance in the movie as himself and adds his comedic genius to the plot also.

Well, it's time to get started on a few other things for today, so I'll leave you with links of things I've been fancying:

Pretty multicolored metal rings from Meetalls on Etsy

Shear bead trim top from Forever 21

Toothpick Ankle Cords from Jcrew

Great American Trench by Coach

Terific Platforms in magenta by Steve Madden

Enjoy your day and dream up a fabulous outfit of your own! :)